


It's the Other Way Around

by makuramotou



Category: Notice Me Senpai! (Video Game)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-08
Updated: 2017-08-08
Packaged: 2018-12-12 20:41:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11744796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/makuramotou/pseuds/makuramotou
Summary: Souma likes the feeling of knowing what Touya doesn't.





	It's the Other Way Around

It's not unknown to class 3-C's genius chef Souma that his friends call him 'Papa' behind his back. The nickname started when Touya took baking lessons from Souma, and gave the test-cookies to their classmates as snack during their free time. While Souh may be the resident butler, Touya's homely glow gave Ai and Yuu the idea to call him 'Mama'--and who else to give the other title but to the one who guided Touya through the lessons, and bragged to everyone about his friend's improvents in making the pastries--Souma, of course. 

 

Souma knows they're being called Papa and Mama, but Touya doesn't know.

And Souma likes the feeling of knowing what Touya doesn't. 

 

Like, how he has romantic feelings for him. Of course, Touya doesn't know.   
But in return, Souma doesn't know who Touya thinks of before he sleeps. 

 

"Hopefully, it's me." Souma thinks before he shuts his eyes to sleep. 

 

Some times, Souma jams with Yamato and Katsuo--he learns new songs and how to play the guitar.

One time, he spends the rest of his lunch break alone in the classroom with a guitar borrowed from Yamato.

 

"Beautiful tunes..."

 

Souma stops strumming and looks up to the open doorway to see Touya.

 

"A-ah! Gomen, Souma-kun." Touya frets

 

"No, it's okay. Don't mind. What brings you here?"

 

As he was asking, Touya looks sadly at the paperbag he holds. 

 

_He really gets anxious over the smallest of things._

 

"Are those your homemade cookies?" Souma asks; to break the wall. 

 

"Ah...un..."

 

"Ii na..." Souma lightly strums on the strings. "...whoever receives it must be very lucky." 

 

"Aheh...it's not as good as yours, though, Souma-kun." 

 

"Hnh...c'mon." He laughs "It's not really..." 

 

Souma's words fade when he sees Touya's blushing smile--but his eyes are on the floor.

 

_It's not for me..._

 

There's a gentle wind that pass through the wide windows and to them. Souma's fingers begin to feel the strings and emptily strums the guitar. 

Touya silently listens to Souma, until halfway the strumming and plucking stops.

 

"...somehow, I forgot the next part..."

 

"You're amazing, Souma-kun!" Touya claps his hands, clasping the paper bag with his elbow to his side. "What's that song?"

 

"Katsuo taught me. It's 'The Girl From Ipanema'." Souma pretends to be tweaking the guitar keys to avoid looking at Touya.

 

"The title sounds familiar...now that I think of it, maybe I heard it before...What is the song about?"

 

_...An unrequited love._

 

"...There's this guy...who fell in love with the girl--"

 

"--and..?"

 

"...and..."

 

Souma likes the feeling of knowing what Touya doesn't. 

 

_I'm a despicable creature..._

 

"...and, I think you should be somewhere with someone right now, ne? You're probably giving it to someone special to you."

 

Touya stops for a few seconds, as if taken aback by Souma's words. He seems to be fretting about something. 

 

"S-Souma-kun..."

 

"I'm fine. Just go. Good luck."

 

Touya carefully walks to Souma, but Souma just continues on fiddling with the guitar, seemingly sulking. 

 

"...For all the times when I...when I needed you, and you were there..."

 

Touya presents him the paperbag with both hands

 

"...I know I can be a real headache, but you still put up with me...and...this time, if not for you, I would've failed the baking exam on home economics...

I'm sorry, Souma-kun...I know...I understand...I-I'll never bother you again..."

 

Souma stops with the guitar; he looks up to see Touya's closed eyes welling with tears, and his lip bit to stop any sound from escaping. 

 

"Wha...No, Touya--!" Souma puts down the guitar and rises up to hold Touya's damp cheeks.

 

"...I understand, Souma-kun...That I've been too much of a bother, and of course you don't need me; you don't want someone like me around...I'm...I'm just a nuisance to you--"

"You're wrong!" Souma shouts

 

Touya's words get halted when Souma's hand cups his head while the other pulls him in by the waist. 

 

"...Sorry, Touya. But you're wrong."

 

_I want you. I need you. More than anyone else...  
I want to be with you all the time..._

_It's me who needs you._

 

"...but, Souma-kun, weren't you fed up with me?...just a while ago, you--"

 

Souma holds Touya tighter, closer 

 

"I will never get tired of you..." he whispers "that's because I--"

"YAPPARI! I KNEW IT!"

A shout startles both Touya and Souma; Yuyu and the others are at the other doorway, with eyes shining expectantly.

 

"Y-You guys--!" Touya hurrily wipes his own face and tries to smile at them without the slightest idea of the budding romantic atmosphere that Souma tried to build. He doesn't even mind Souma's hand on his waist. 

 

"Souma-san, omedetou." Hinata says

"Did we just ruin something here?" Wakatoshi grins

"Souma-kun, Touya-kun--are you guys finally--" Izumi stutters

"WHEN'S THE WEDDING?" Yuu exclaims

"Did you k-ki-kis--" Katsuo, who's blushing fiercely, accuses Souma

"They didn't." From above, Kei shows himself and shoots stinging looks at the chef

"K-Kei??! How long have you been here??!" Souma asks

"....I am ALWAYS watching my Touya-dono."

Yuu and the others shoot their eyes at Touya.

"...a, ahaha... Is that so, Kei-kun? Thanks for keeping an eye on me. Which reminds me, do you want snacks? I have homemade cookies..."

The class 3-C buddies say their acceptance and excitement. 

 

"Let me just get them, it's in my bag back in 3-B's.." 

"I'll go with you--!" Souma says when he's secured the cookies that Touya brought especially for him. 

"Thanks, Souma-kun." 

 

On the corridors leading to 3-B's room, Souma almost skips while he walks with Touya. He keeps on thinking about the cookies, and how Touya could be thinking of him as he baked the pastries.

"Oh, yeah... You were gonna say something to me earlier, right, Souma-kun?"

"H-huh? Oh, uh..."

 

No matter how much he despises himself for it, Souma still likes the feeling of knowing what Touya doesn't.

 

"Ah, I was gonna say 'Thank you.'"

"Hn? ...That's...not quite... hm, anyway, you're welcome!"

 

Souma's gonna keep it to himself for now; but someday, surely, he's gonna make these dear feelings known to the one he loves.


End file.
